how long does chemo keep the cancer stable typically?

Momschooling

My husband now 62 is in a clinical trial, which doesn't seem to be working after becoming castrate resistant. The next step is likely chemo, how long does this usually help? He has metastatic prostate cancer since 2019, metastatic to bladder, lungs and lymph nodes. Lung mets and lymph nodes in para-aortic area are growing again. Does chemo ever keep it at bay for a significant period of time?

Old Salt

As you probably know, there are different kinds of 'chemo'. Which one have the doctors recommended?

Momschooling

Docetaxel I believe

mwolven921

I can’t tell from your bio, how long has your husband been castrate resistant?

Momschooling

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1710109#Comment_1710109

He started slowly creeping up last fall but doctor didn't officially call it until this summer.

Clevelandguy

Hi,

To answer your question, in theory the chemo will kill all cells that divide and grow. This includes cancer cells, hair cells, bone marrow cells,ext. In reality I don’t think there is a set answer. I have included a link for you to look into.

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/chemotherapy/how-chemotherapy-works

Dave 3+4

Momschooling

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1710126#Comment_1710126

Thank you, I had chemo for ovarian cancer but I was stage 2. It seems for prostate cancer it's more of a bandaid treatment they do at later stages when all else fails? At least that's what is happening with my husband.

Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3

Moms,

Chemo for PCa is as a palliative; that is, it slows the disease and reduces many symptoms. It is ordinarily regarded as non-curative, however. How long a taxane will be effective varies radically from patient to patient. Be aware that there are now post-taxane drugs also, at least Jevtana and Zytiga, and possibly others. Researchers are constantly testing new and more effective ways to combine these, and I have not followed that information much in the last few years.

To directly answer your question: chemo often helps for a significant amount of time. I wish you and him much successes with this,

max

https://chemocare.com/druginfo/jevtana

Momschooling

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1710237#Comment_1710237

Thank you, my husband was just bumped off of clinical trial due to lymph node progression in his mediastinal and para-aortic nodes. His lung nodules though are still stable, so at least that's good news. The study drug really took a lot out of him, more than anything he's done in the past and it hurt his kidneys. Now we wait 4 weeks and start either chemo, or another clinical trial that's like chemo but more targeted. I am looking for answers/data on how long men can hang in there with mcrpc, can it be years but at what cost of life enjoyment? I know the oncologists always paint a rosy picture (my own cancer as well) but I just want the truth.

Old Salt

I am so sorry you and your husband have to face these really serious issues. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone of us can give you a specific answer to your question because your husband's medical status is quite complex. Just try to enjoy each day as much as possible.

Carpe Diem!

Momschooling

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1710237#Comment_1710237

Thank you, my husband did Zytiga for many years but jevtana is something I haven't seen. When you significant amount of time, are you talking months or years? The dr says pluvicto is available once he tries chemo.

Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3

Moms,

I am hesitant to suggest a specific time range, since the results vary so widely.

max

Momschooling

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1710939#Comment_1710939

Thanks, yes, I realize this. His dr said typically chemo can help around a year but of course that depends on so many factors, it doesn't work for everyone and then of course are side effects. I asked directly what average life expectancy is for someone at his point of disease, and he said 2-3 yrs which sounds a lot better than I was reading. I don't know if the dr was being hundred percent honest because they do tend to stretch truth in order to keep hope. I am just thinking we have to take it one moment at a time and try to spend quality time the best we can.

Clevelandguy

Hi,

Has your husband considered any type of immunology type treatments. Also from what I understand Proton therapy can be used if radiation is no longer an option. I have included links for you to look at about immune therapies & Proton. Just a couple of ideas………

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/prostate-cancer/immunotherapy-for-prostate-cancer#:~:text=Immunotherapy%20for%20prostate%20cancer%20works,to%20attack%20prostate%20cancer%20cells.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/proton-therapy/about/pac-20384758#:~:text=Proton%20therapy%20may%20be%20used,after%20traditional%20X%2Dray%20radiation.

Dave 3+4

Old Salt

Proton therapy wouldn't 'work' since the cancer has metastasized extensively.

Momschooling

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1710943#Comment_1710943

It seems chemo and then pluvicto are the treatments left. We wanted to try pluvicto first but insurance requires chemo beforehand. He likely has extensive micro mets, we won't know the full picture until he does a psma scan.

mwolven921

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1710976#Comment_1710976

Look into the DORA trial. I am not sure if you are in the United States but this is a phase 3 trial combining radium-223 with chemo. Radium targets painful bone metastases directly and the chemo targets the cancer overall. My dad is castrate resistant. He’s been since 1 year now. We did xtandi once he became resistant to lupron and he got 6 months out of it. Now we’re on to this trial because he has only bone metastases, extensively. What treatments has your husband gone through so far? I don’t believe pluvicto and chemo are the only two things left, maybe I am being naive but I have heard about jevtana, oliparib, keytruda, carboplatin chemo if docetaxel fails, and others. Studies come out all the time about mCRPC. I know the doctor may have told you 2-3 years, but please trust modern medicine is consistently evolving, ESPECIALLY prostate cancer. He can be wrong. Have hope!! All the best. —Michele

Momschooling

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1710977#Comment_1710977

Yes we are here in US. My husband never got bone mets which I know is unusual, his pc was originally in bladder, regional lymph nodes and one RP lymph node then it moved to his lungs but suppressed with ADT, now he's resistant and PC has made its way to many chest nodes. He unfortunately didn't respond to Xtandi nor Xtandi with a clinical trial drug. His dr said there are clinical trials etc but it seems the main ways are chemo and pluvicto. There are always new things coming out though as you said, but as time goes on therapy really starts to wear them down.

Momschooling

Just wanted to update, my husband finished 7 rounds of chemo. He responded amazing the first round, after that things just fizzled out and remained stable. His scans showed slight improvement with chemo and kept him stable. He handled the chemo very well, but now the side effects have really piled on ironically after he finished. He is getting a psma scan done next month in preparation for pluvicto once he needs it. I am hoping he can at least have this full summer and some fall before having to jump into another treatment. The dr said he has no estimation on when his psa will start jumping, it can be anywhere from a month to 6 months.

Old Salt

Thanks for the update. Let's hope for a long 'intermission'.

Momschooling

My husband has been having a lot of leg and ankle edema over the last month, fatigue and now bloating in his stomach, occasional bouts of diarrhea and his appetite seems to be getting a bit less compared to even a few weeks ago :( I assumed all of this was post chemo but his doctor doesn't think so. He is having his psma scan soon which will show what is happening if it's cancer related :( Has anyone else experienced this months after chemo or with prostate cancer? He has retroperitoneal lymph nodes enlarged and mediastinal, but it was stable on last scan.